Micrometer tube caliper



July 2l, 1936. w. A. PRICE MICROMETER TUBE CALIPER Filed Jan. 24, 1934 nl l l 0 I n.

` INVENTOR.

Jz'/w/c 731166 Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES MICROMETER TUBECALIPER William A. Price, Toledo, Ohio, assigner to The Standard OilCompany, Cleveland, Ohio, a cor poration of Ohio Application Januaryk24,1934, Serial No. 708,093

3 Claims.

In the use of constructions involving tubular heating elements, as inchemical industrial applications, oil heating and cracking, steamgeneration, etc., there has been no way heretofore to determine thechanges due to corrosion and abrasion in the tubes. Where operating forinstance with tubular heating elements in oilcracking coils, it is knownthat the walls of the tubes are progressively reduced. from the inside,this action being more or less rapid, depending upon the character ofthe runs and the character of the stock, etc., and by the best methodsof inspection heretofore it has not been possible to always replace athinned and weakened tube suiciently promptly .to avert blow-outs andres. Some means by which anaccurate check on the tube conditions may behad is therefore of prime importance, both as to attaining the utmostprac tical useful life out of tubing before replacing and also avoidingover-extension of usage and consequent disastrous blow-outs.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, consists of the features hereinafter fully described; andpa'rticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawing setting.

forth in detail an illustrative embodiment of the invention, this beingindicative however of but oneof the various ways in which the principleof the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central sectional view of an embodiment of theinvention, the central portion being broken out on account of spacelimitations; Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on a staggeredplane indicated by line II II, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section takensubstantially on a plane indicated by line III-III, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4is a plan view of the indicator.

ln its general aspects, the invention contemplates a remote controlmicrometer having a head adapted to enter a tube to. be measured,projectable meter-elements movable in such head, and a manual remotecontrol head spaced apart from the tube head a considerable distanceaccommodating to requirements of exploration of tubes of great length,and a connecting means between the tube-entering head and the manualcontrol head whereby the latter may operate the metering elements.

The tube-entering head may `Vary somewhat in its construction, butconveniently may be made up of a cylindrical member 2 bored for thepassage of a plunger 3, and having a nose piece or end closure 4,advantageously somewhat tapered,

and a rear closure member 5, the closure members being screw-threadedlyeng-aged, and desirably provided further with gasket rings 6 to form4retract the meter-elements 9 according as its movements are forward orrearward. For the 15 operation of the meter-pin actuator 8, the plunger3 secured thereto serves to provide the forward orf rearward movements.This plunger is mounted'in bores l2, I3, of the respective heads, a ventI4 being provided in the forward head to 20' allow equalization of airon movement. Coiled about the plunger 3 in the bore of the body is aspring I5, positioned between the front head 4 and the pin-actuator 8whereby to normally thrust the latter into its rearward position.

Connection to the external or remote manual control head is had by atube or housing I6, which may be of ,sufficient length to allowexploration in the tubes of whatever length are to be calipered. Forinstance, for usage in some 30 types of equipment the extension I6 maybe about 15 feet long, while for other types it may be 20, 25 or morefeet in length, the length in any case being sufhcient to allow transitof the tube-entering head throughout the length to 35 be explored, fromone end or' from both ends,

while the manual control head is on the outside in accessible positionfor use. Within the ex tension tube I6 is a connecting rod'or tube Il,joined at one end to the plunger 3` and at its 40 other` vend to amember I8 which is reciprocably movable by suitable hand-controlledmeans. One advantageous form is that shown, viz., the member I8 istoothed in the form of a rack i9, and engageable therewith is a toothedsegment 2D 45 pivoted' as at 2l in the head, and extending out as ahand-lever 22. A grip handle 23, con-A veniently of pistol-grip type, isarranged in relation.

Upon the control head there is provided an 50 indicator by which theposition of the meterelements 9 may be shown, and advantageously this iscalibrated to read in terms of internal tube diameters, with graduationsfor instance to onehundredths or one-thousandths of an inch. The 55 mayvary, but a desirable form involves a dial 24 over which an index hand25 may move, a cover glass 26 affording protection. The index hand 25mounted on the spindle 21 may be 'operated in step with the slide memberI8, for instance by another set of teeth 28 on the latter coacting witha pinion 29 on the spindle 21.

The manner of use of the device will be readily understood from theforegoing. The tube-entering head is inserted into the tube to bemeasured, and the operator at the control head then presses the lever22, thereby causing the rack and pinion motion to move the member I8,connecting rod or tube II and plunger 3 forwardly. The pin actuator 8 onthe plunger 3 correspondingly moves forwardly, causing the heads I8 ofthe pins to be moved outwardly by engagement in the slots, and the pins9 are projected against the inside wall of the tube. The dial is read.The

lever 22 is released, andthe spring I5 throws thel plunger and actuator8 rearwardly, thus retracting the pins 9. The device is then movedforward to a new position to be measured, and the lever 22 is againoperated to project the meter pins 9 and a reading is taken. This isrepeated progressively at the desired intervals until the it is realizedthat tubes as employed in chemical industry, oil refineries, etc., aremore or less continuously' subjected to furnace conditions ofextremely'high temperature, while the liquid or gaseous material withinis maintained under pressures upward of a thousand pounds to the precisedetail of the mechanism of the indicator means stated in any of thefollowing claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distapering member, a manualcontrol head spaced I apart from said first-named head, an extensiontube connecting said heads, a rack in said control head, a connectionbetween said plunger and said rack, a dial indicator on said controlhead, a spindle and pinion' for operating said dial, and a hand leverwith toothed segment for operating said rack and thereby actuating themeter-pins and the indicator.

2. A remote control micrometer tube caliper,

vwhich comprises a. head adapted to enter a tube to be measured, atapered forward end closure for said head, means making a tightdirt-excluding union between said tapered forward end closure and saidhead, projectable meter elements radially mounted in'said head, meansengaging said elements to project or retract the same, a manuallyoperated control head spaced apart from the said first-named head,`meansholding said heads together in predetermined relation, means on thecontrol head for indicating the position of the meter elements, andconnecting means between said manual control head and said meterelements.

3. A remote control micrometer tube caliper, which comprises a headadapted to enter a tube to be measured, projectable meter elementsradially mounted in said head, actuating means movable against saidmeter elements, means making a tight dirt-excluding union at theperipheral forward joint between said tapered forward end closure andsaid head, a manually operated control head spaced apart from saidfirst-named head, means holding said heads together in spaced relation,means on the control head for indicating the position of the meterelements, and a connecting member between said manual control head andsaid meter elements.

WILLIAM A. PRICE.

